Migraines are an important women’s health issue

Statistics show that women are three times more predisposed to migraine headaches over extended periods of time as opposed to men. Hormonal imbalances or changes are often the culprit, as migraines tend to afflict female sufferers most prominently during puberty and menopause. The root cause can definitely be subjective, but these two seminal stages in a woman’s life are often to blame, demonstrating that migraines are largely a women’s health issue.

Although migraines run in my family, I’ve (fortunately) not encountered them myself thus far. However, they have plagued my mother, cruelly punctuating her life since she was 18. Growing up, I had only happy memories, from family holidays, to being surprised with a puppy at dinner one night. My parents remained my support system as I tested unfamiliar and terrifying territories, from my 11+ exam, to summer camp, to university.

I’m aware that my mother has different perceptions of these times. Her getting headaches was something I grasped early on in life, without understanding the severity. I didn’t have the mental capacity to understand that a pain you couldn’t see could be so crippling, and required confining oneself to a completely dark room, often for hours on end.

I know she punishes herself for it. That she worries her migraines prevented her from being a better mother (which is near impossible). Even after we were old enough to travel home from school by bus or tube by ourselves, she would still insist on collecting us. She always had a full meal prepared for when we got home, as I had a very restricted palate when it came to school food. She extended herself as far as humanly possible on a daily basis, and she never fell short. Now, as I’ve grown up, I’ve come to better understand her condition. I realize that it’s up to me to take initiative when I know she needs rest.

There have been other important women in my life, besides my mother, who suffer greatly from them. My best friend and her mother, my grandmother, and some cousins. As the triggers can vary, eliminating certain food products or environmental factors can help, but from firsthand experience, I’ve seen that it’s the not knowing that causes most of the anguish. In my mother’s case, her migraines have been down to stress, certain gluten products, and other things that are too numerous to count, but she has yet to identify that real trigger that could open a migraine-free door for her.

We need to regard migraines as a real issue, and not pass them off as the standard headache that can be alleviated with a glass of water. We need to understand who’s at risk, through processes such as genetic testing, and work to create something to prevent migraines rather than treating them.

I don’t understand that kind of pain, and I’ve learnt to be so grateful that my life has not been hindered by it like so many I know, but why shouldn’t those we care about have to sit back and miss out on the fun?

If you’re interested in learning more about migraines, fear that you may be predisposed to them or already suffer from them, there are tried and tested methods in treating them.